Bumble Bees (Bombus)

From all-creatures.orgArt and Photo Journals
and Galleries DirectoryDedicated to the Preservation and Restoration of the Whole of Creation
Humans - Animals - Environment

"And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31)

- God's Little Folk -
Bumble Bees (Bombus)

On the sixth day of creation, God made them, and us!

(Bumble Bee - 01a) This is a closer look at the bumble bee on
the begonia. Bumble bees are larger than honey bees, but like honey bees they
are social insects. They can be identified by their robust body, which is
covered with black and yellow hairs (setae), often in bands. On the internet we
saw reference to some species that have orange or red hairs on their bodies, or
they may be entirely black. The abundant hair makes bumble bees appear and feel
fuzzy. They are best distinguished from similarly large, fuzzy bees by the form
of the female hind leg, which is modified to form a corbicula; a shiny concave
surface that is bare, but surrounded by a fringe of hairs used to transport
pollen (in similar bees, the hind leg is completely hairy, and pollen grains are
wedged into the hairs for transport). Like their relatives the honey bees,
bumblebees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young.

Presented here
are just a few of the countless components of God's creation. Just as we
cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without
love and compassion. It is our hope
and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a
cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the
animals or our environment.

If you would like to contribute a photo and/or comment to
these series, please contact;
Frank L. Hoffman flh@all-creatures.org
Photos by Frank L. Hoffman unless otherwise noted